And now we have a trailer for the first of these films, simply titled Tolkien, which stars Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road, X-Men and, going back a bit, Skins and About a Boy) as the young Tolkien thrust into World War 1, and Lily Collins (daughter of Phil, Fantine in the BBC’s Les Miserables and Snow White in Mirror Mirror) as his eternal love Edith Bratt.

It’s being helmed by Finnish director Dome Karukoski, whose eclectic cinematic CV includes a neo-Nazi family drama (Heart of a Lion), a biopic of a gay Finnish artist (Tom of Finland) and a musical romantic drama (Beauty and the Bastard).

This new teaser goes heavy on World War 1 and a not-exactly-subtle Lord of the Rings theme (complete with the “O” in Tolkien glistening like a golden ring). It’s a story about journeys, adventure, magic, love and fellowship we are told, as the action quickly shifts from idyllic teenage years to a swirling impressionist fog of war, with the sort of intense reds, blacks and yellows that practically scream that this was the inspiration for Mordor.

It all looks a little conventional, and hopefully the symbolism and hints in the actual movie are not quite so heavy handed.

Tolkien is set to be released in UK cinemas on 3rd May 2019 and will hit US screens a week later.